Feed-cutter



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FEED CUTTER.

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k FEED CUTTER. N0.-314,266. Patented Mar. 24, 1885.

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FEED BUTTER.

Patented Mar. 24, 1885.

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EDYVIN F. SHERMAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEED-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,266, dated March 2 1, 1885.

Application filed May 9, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-Gutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion belongs to that class of feedcutters in which the knives and feed-rolls are connected by gearing to revolve together; and the first part of my improvements relates to mechanism for changing the length of the chop by varying the speed of the knives relative to that of the feed-rolls, and through the substitution of different gears upon the l nife-arbor-by means of which changes upon a single shaft without altering the most favorable rate of speed of the rolls for feeding thelength of the chop may be quickly changed.

The second part relates to mechanismfor forming what may be called an elastic feed, in which the upper and lower rolls shall be smoothly driven at a uniform spced,unafi'eeted by the extent of their separation by interposed material.

Figure I is a side elevation of the front part of a feed-cutter, parts being broken away and parts omitted. Fig. II is a similar view with most ofthe driving-gears removed. Fig. III is a plan view of the front portion of the machine. Fig. IV is a reverse side view to that shown in Figs. I and II, parts being omitted. Fig. V is an elevation of a modified feed-roll. Fig. V1 is a transverse section just in rear of the cutter-bar, looking toward the rear of the machine. Fig.VII is aperspective of the frame which carries the upper feed'roll. Guardplate Z is omitted in several figures.

The machine is supported by a frame of usual construction.

B indicates the driving-gear, which may be turned by crank 12. The gear B is journaled on a stud, b, which projects from the swingplate D. The plate D is hung upon shaft e, or on a projection concentric therewith, said shaft 6 being the shaft of the lower feed-roll. The plate D has a projection, in which there is a curved slot, (1-, which slot forms an are about the center e. A set-screw, L, passes through slot (1, and so into the frame of the machine or a support thereon.

By means of this set-screw the plate may be held in any position to which it may swing on its center of movement or pivot at c.

The knife-driving shaft t has a gear-wheel,

knives B may be varied by changing the.

gear T.

A small gearwheel, O, is secured alongside the gear B, and on the same axis. This wheel 0 meshes with pinion IV on the stud 10, which projects from plate D, and pinion \V meshes with gear E on the shaft c of the lower feed roll. Thus the train of gears is complete from the drivinggear B to the shaft of the lower feed-roll, and said roll will be driven at a uniform speed relatively to that of wheel B, no matter what may be the position of plate D. The gear E meshes with a pinion, G, on the stud g, which stud projects from the." side plate F of the machine. The pinion G meshes with a similar pinion, H, which is journaled on stud 72, similar to the stud g. The pinion H meshes with gear I on the upper feed-roll shaft, i, and by the train of gears E G H I the upper and lower feed-rolls are made to move at a uniform speed.

On the opposite side of the machine from the train of gears, and in line with the stud ii, there is a stud, h, projecting from side plate F, as shown clearly in Fig. III. Two plates, J and J, are pivoted on the studs h h, and these plates have bearings for the journals of the upper feed-roll, i. The plates JJ may be connected by a bar, J". (Shown in Figs. I, II, IV.) The upper feed-roll may thus move in an are about the centers h h, and may be thus at a greater or lesser distance from the lower feed-roll.

The knives P, supported on frames 9 on shaft t, extend obliquely across the machine, and operate with a draw out to sever material which is fed overthe bar 0. The oblique position of the knives, which is of advantage as giving a draw cut, tends to crowd the material operated on to one side of the machine. This WVhatever the size of gear T within tendency is counteracted by making the feedrolls with deep grooves between the lands T, which lands are placed obliquely with refer ence to the axis of the roll.

The surface of one or both feed-rolls I form of narrow continuous edges or lands 7' upon the surface of a cylinder, and obliquely disposed to its axis-being in the general form of narrow lands left by deep wide groovesand the rolls are arranged to cause the twist lands to oppose the moving cutting-point of the oblique knives against the knife-bar O, by means of which the disposition of a draw shear cut to drag the substance being out toward one side of the box is compensated for by the reverse tendency of the feed-rolls.

Where an excessive difference exists. between the speed of the knives and that of the feedrolls,and where consequently the pitch of the spiral edges would require adjustment, I prefer to form one or both of the rolls 6 2', as shown in Fig. III, of corrugations spirally disposed upon the surface of a cylinder, to have the edges form continuous surfaces in being reverse counterparts from the center of the roll, by means of which configuration the straw or hay passing through the rolls is fed toward the center of the knives, where it is in the best position to be cut by knives moving at great speed.

When the machine shown is to be run by power, the belt-pulley is secured to the knifeshaft upon the balance-wheel B.

To simplify the illustration of the invention, the plateD is shown as having its axis formed of the shaft of lower roll, e,- but in practice, to avoid the friction caused by the weight of said plate with its gearing coming directly upon the roll 6, the plate D is hung upon a collar from the side plate F, and through which passes the shaft 6' of roll e.

Now having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a feed-cutter, the combination, with the journaled knife-shaft having removable gear T, of the plate D, pivoted concentrically with the lower feed-roll, the driving-wheel journaled on said plate, and a securing device,

L, by which the plate may be held in adjusted position, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with the journaled knifeshaft and its removable and interchangeable wheel T, of the swinging plate D, having a pivot concentric with the lower feed-roll, the driving-wheel B .and attached gear 0, journaled on said plate, the train of gears leading from the wheel 0 to the shaft of the lower feed-roll, and a retaining-screw, L, whereby the plate D may be held in adjusted position, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the frame of a feed-cutter, ofalowerfeed-rollj ournaled therein, a swinging plate pivoted about said feedroll shaft, the plate having supports b w for gears, and a curved slot, d, gears 13, O, and NV, mounted on said supports and in train with gear E on the feed-roll, a gear, T, on the knife-shaft meshing with gear B, and a set screw, L, passing through the curved slot, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the gear E on the lower feed-roll, of pinions G H in train therewith and mounted 011 the studsg l2, projecting from the side plate, the upper feedroll supports pivoted in line concentric with stud l2, and a feedroll mounted in said supports, having agear intermeshing with gear H, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the studs h h and the feedroll supports J J, pivoted thereon, the gear H on the stud h and the gear I on the feed-roll shaft intcrmeshing therewith, and springs attached by connecting-rods to the fecdroll supports and acting to draw down the feed-roll, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the feed-roll supports J J, pivoted at the sides of the frame, the feed-roll '6, journaled therein, the rods k k,

, attached to said supports, and the springs Z Z,

bearing against the heads of said rods and against the frame of the machine to depress the feed-roll, substantially as described.

EDWVIN F. SHERMAN. Vitnesses:

R. F. HYDE, W. H. BURRALL. 

